Pulling onto the sidewalk yesterday morning, to park my bike outside the Tim Horton's at University and Dundas (not to mention, outside my place of employment), I noticed the bike parked at the next bike-stand had it's tail-light blinking mournfully in the slowly-lightening dawn. I stopped and switched it off, taking a small pleasure in this random act of kindness.

That afternoon, leaving the building and approaching my bike, I saw my tail-light, blinking, blinking ... blinking, its once ruby-red glow now pale pink, like the shallow breaths of a dying man.

I cursed myself for my stupidy at (a) leaving my lights on and, worse, (b) leaving them attached to the bike, rather than putting them safely away in my napsack. The front light - which burns with a strong, steady white glow - was completely dead.